Travel - France and Asia beckon

Have a short break in France coming up, which is a country I haven't visited in a few years. It's a work related week but will no doubt sample as much of the culture as I can. Have been sharpening up the French conversational skills and looking forward to quaffing some nice wine (although as a lover of scotch and black coffee I can only aspire to be a "tolerant" taster of wine, think I read somewhere that Asian women can be most naturally sensitive). Asia in on the summer horizon and the day I booked the tickets it has changed how I have approached the following days and weeks. I seem to be more energised and focused as I plan ahead. I've been busy (building up to excuse for lack of blog entries here)but rarely tired. As the evenings have got brighter, I have become more invigorated and any slow mornings or long days have been lightened by the prospect of balmy beaches, swirling landscapes and exotic tastes and sounds. The blogging may have slackened but I'm sure the next few weeks and months will entail that will last long in the memory.

Travel - Leber, Las Fallas and another crack at Barcelona

What a week, what a country. Headed off to Barcelona again last week, promptly engaged in some mischief in the catalunyan capital before taking off down to Valencia for Las Fallas. This week long festival nearly brought me to my knees. Firecrackers, fireworks and actual fires combine for some heavily paganistic overtones in this holiest of weeks. In truth, it was a great few days with young and old mixing on generally trouble free streets without the slighest intention of doing anything during the week other than eat, drink and burst my eardrums. Our hungover and weary heads were greatly comforted along the 3 hour train journey to Valencia with our panoramic views from the train cafeteria, nursing a beer, and appreciating the orange groves, terraced hills and glistening seas unfolding in front of us. Spain, and its many regions, never fail to disappoint and I think it will be a long time yet before I grow even remotely tired of what it has to offer.

(More photos and shenanigans on the week to follow)

La Independencia

Wrote this a while back when I was in Guatemala. Probably full of mistakes but might try to start writing again a bit in spanish.

Por lo tanto, pienso que soy un varón bastante independiente. Cuando tengo problemas personales prefiero resolverlos por mi mismo. También, no me gusta compartirlos con amigos. Para mí, no hay punto a discutir un problema para la meta de solo compartirlo. Es por eso que me gusta viajar. Casi todos las decisiones son míos juntos con los errores, pero todo son míos.

El viernes pasado, me di cuenta que a veces mi independencia no es tan profunda. Bebí casi una botella de ron con mi familia huésped. Ellos me tratan como uno de la familia. En ese tiempo, me sentí a mis anchas y es todavía sumamente fácil platicar con ellos. Las horas pasaron rápidamente y y dentro de poco era los doce, traté de salir de la casa pero las padres no me permetieron. El padre dijo "No permito que salgas porque ya es demasiado peligroso". Primero pensé que me estaba tomando el pelo pero después me di cuenta que tenia razón. Segundo me di cuenta que quise alguna influencia o control. Ya no sé porque.

Normalmente nos gustan las cosas que nos influyen. Sin influencias no podemos crecer. Nos quedaríamos en lo mismo para siempre.

Travel - Barcelona

Well, the itchings of wanderlust mentioned above were momentarily sated recently after a far too brief trip to Barcelona and a nearby town, Sitges. Certain places in the world have an inherent sense of arrival from the moment you breath in what they have to offer. Obviously, these places differ for everyone, but for me Barcelona is one of those places. All its many varied characteristics and element seemed to appeal me in some way and I spent those few days enthralled by some both its grandiose and simple pleasures.

The first night was spent with a friend in the beautiful coastal town of Sitges along with some locals and ex-pats. Any apprehension about speaking Spanish with Catalunyans was dispelled with the conversation flowing until late into the night, as it always seems to do in Spain. The next day took us in by train, at times hugging the cliff face, into Barcelona itself.

Las Ramblas provided us with our main reference point, as it does for most tourists, on the trip but we never stayed for long on the strip itself. Staying in Plaza Real in the heart of the Barri Gotic we undertook the best possible way to see any city. Walking. Actually, make that walking and drinking and eating.Walking without any particular destination to get lost looking for and not find. We actually took joy in our rambling and we seemed to constantly 'discover' gems of sights that constantly bid to outdo each other.

By the end of the second day we had an almost local knowledge of Barri Gotic and found several great places to drink and eat, from the Tapas bar that had opend out on to a busy street that served little glasses of roja for €1.30 to a Paraguayan restaurant that served incredibly flavoured and tender meat dishes in huge portions, and several funky bars to boot. In most cities, this would take weeks.

I don't think I have ever been so genuinely impressed by architecture as I was in this city.
We have all been to places and gone to see places just for the sake of it and been duly appreciative but after a while it gets a bit tiresome. Gaudi's indelible impression on the city is very symbolic of a city so proud of its independent and cosmopolitan that looks within rather than outside for its inspiration.

Ever before I stepped on the plane home I vowed I would be back.

Travel - Where in the World?

This kid is fairly amazing. Was fairly impressed when she went straight to Zimbabwe.


She even manages to correct her parents' pronunciation of Mexico.

Travel - Where To Next?

Sometimes get an overwhelming desire to drop everything and take off somewhere. Was searching for flights to 'somewhere' just this morning. All the banalities and dreary responsibilities of daily life never seem to matter once you're on that plane. We've had a rainy season instead of a summer this year in Ireland and it's been a while since I have been this static. I have also been behaving far too well of late - it's possibly the dawning of maturity but I suspect I just haven't been given the opportunities to be "a very naughty boy", as they would say on Monty Python.

One of my former holiday destinations, where any form of maturity would be frowned upon, was Ibiza. That was way back in the 90s so don't know what it's like now but some of the closing parties were amazing there at that time. Particularly, Manumission at Privilege. The water parties were fairly class in Es Paradis as well.

(That water goes waist deep!!)

I love going on holidays and be able to indulge in a vibrant night-life but one big night and the whole thing tends to spiral into hedonistic mayhem ending up in a cycle of clubbing / bed / pub / clubbing / and so forth. I found myself being able to have a good balance in most Asian countries (apart from Korea)of being a wholesome tourist by day and up to mischief by night. Think I just might skip the Irish summer next year and see what more Asia has to offer.

A man that knows a thing or two about hedonism, Mr. McGowan.

Travel - Art of the Day

Whenever I spend a bit of time in any city I try to do the usual touristy things before getting up to the inevitable mischief after which appreciation for churches, statues and galleries is greatly diminished. I have been to some of the great galleries like the Tate Modern in London, the Prado and Reina Sofia in Madrid and the Van Gogh musuem in Amsterdam. I usually read the gallery captions and guides, buy the audio tour (best one ever was in Forbidden city in Beijing - voiced by the eyebrow himself ... Roger Moore), stand in front of as many paintings as I can and try to get an understanding of the artist's life and why, or for who, he painted them.

When it comes to paintings I feel I have to know this background information to truly appreciate them. This probably indicates my inability to simply appreciate a painting for what it is - a work of art. Nonetheless, despite my initial zeal , the tour is usually rushed through in the end, fast forwarding the audio commentary. Maybe this just isn't the way art should be seen. One great piece of art should be enough to contemplate and digest over a day. So ...

I have chosen one painting for the day. It's "Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh.


Not very original I know but I liked the way it took a while to take in the full content of the painting. Initially, your eyes flicker over each of the exaggerated stars in the swirling night sky and then you realise there's a large, dark structure on the left that seems out of place with the quaint, cosy looking town below. Van Gogh painted this from memory in his room in an asylum. Maybe you could interpret this painting as revealing his sense of isolation on the fringes of society and despite all the beauty in the world, he still feels dark and lost - or else it's just a nice picture with some stars.

Below are the last 3 verses from the song "Starry Starry Night". Very melancholic, I know, but it's really a beautiful ode to a tragic man. These verses describe how even though he created beautiful works of art that would forever hang in "empty halls" they could never return his love so true ... cue throat clearing now.




Don McLean - Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)
For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...

Travel - What the World Eats

Taken from some of the excellent photo galleries on the Time website.
I have included countries I have been to, but I can't say I ate like a local all the time. I normally eat a simple breakfast (muesli, bread, coffee) but in places like Japan breakfast was often just a smaller dinner with rice, seawood and some veg. I couldn't even stand the smell of such food in the morning but I'm sure they would react with equal disdain to an Irish breakfast.


Guatemala: The Mendozas of Todos Santos

Food expenditure for one week: 573 Quetzales or $75.70
Family Recipe: Turkey Stew and Susana Perez Matias's Sheep Soup







United States: The Fernandezes of Texas

Food expenditure for one week: $242.48
Favorite Foods: Shrimp with Alfredo sauce, chicken mole, barbecue ribs, pizza








France: The Le Moines of Montreuil

Food expenditure for one week: 315.17 euros or $419.95
Favorite Foods: Delphine Le Moine's Apricot Tarts, pasta carbonara, Thai food







Great Britain: The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis
Food expenditure for one week: 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15
Favorite foods: avocado, mayonnaise sandwich, prawn cocktail, chocolate fudge cake with cream






Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City

Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
Favorite foods: sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips







Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca
Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09
Favorite foods: pizza, crab, pasta, chicken










China: The Dong family of Beijing
Food expenditure for one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06
Favorite foods: fried shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce








Can't find relevant figures for Ireland, but I reckon for 2 kids, 2 adults it would be around €200, which at the moment is trading at $275.
Have never made it to the continent of Africa, but just thought I'd include Chad to show the other end of the spectrum.


Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp

Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
Favorite foods: soup with fresh sheep meat